Play-Doh as Interface

Using an analog material to control digital media

Play-Doh is the polar-opposite of the digital on or off paradigm. I believe the digital objects and experiences we build should allow for the in-between playfulness that is built in to materials such as modelling clay. It's these things — these things that exist between the ones and zeroes — that imbue objects with the capacity to be loved rather than simply liked. We must always explore the fusing of these two constructs — no matter how non-sensical or illogical — so we can continue to be surprised with what we may find.

In this absurd experiment modelling clay is used as an analogue device to control digital video. The size of the clay dictates how quickly the video plays; as I play with the Play-Doh there's a direct cause and effect reaction from the video; the bigger the surface area of clay, the quicker the video plays and vice versa.